God! God! God!

I arise in the waning darkness, to meditate on this, Paramahansa Yogananda's birthday...

It is cold - we are in a deep freeze - but I am warmed by my votive candles and the presence of a Great Master and many guides, who envelope me in love...

I cross the river to meet with my gifted therapist, also devoted to Yogananda. We had chosen this day to meet and meditate together, and I am showered with many crucial insights and a precious message given to me from the Other Side...

I am overwhelmed by many feelings on this day, and come home to a message from a dear friend and soul, who has also celebrated this day of a shared Master, in her own special way...

I practice yoga and trade tips with another dear soul and friend, and it feels good to truly "Open to Grace" and all that it offers...

I drive down to the river and walk along the boat launch, gingerly cracking the ice that hugs the edges. Yet the currents in the middle of the river are strong and they flow copiously. I pay homage to a river that has been silent witness to so much...

I return home to prayers asked by another dear soul, friend, and student, whose husband will receive a long awaited transplant tomorrow, which is also the Feast of Epiphany, and the gifts bestowed by the Three Wise Men...

I am in awe of many blessings received...

I sit now, as the sun goes down, soon to begin my evening meditation, and I am drawn to my favorite prayer by Paramahansa Yogananda, which I have shared with readers here, every year. Every reading of it yields new insight, and it seems fitting to end this day and entry with it on my lips...

God! God! God!

From the depths of slumber,
As I ascend the spiral stairway of wakefulness,
I whisper:
God! God! God!

Thou are the food, and when I break my fast
Of nightly separation from Thee,
I taste Thee, and mentally say,
God! God! God!

No matter where I go, the spotlight of my mind
Ever keeps turning on Thee;
And in the battle din of activity my silent war-cry
is ever:
God! God! God!

When boisterous storms of trials shriek
And worries howl at me,
I drown their noises loudly chanting:
God! God! God!

When my mind weaves dreams
With threads of memories,
On that magic cloth I do emboss:
God! God! God!

Every night, in time of deepest sleep,
My peace dreams and calls: Joy! Joy! Joy!
And my joy comes singing evermore:
God! God! God!

In waking, eating, working, dreaming, sleeping,
Serving, meditating, chanting, divinely loving,
My soul constantly hums, unheard by any any:
God! God! God!

I savor this last paragraph, repeating it over and over again, it is truly my favorite, and it has fed my heart and soul on many of occasions. May it now feed yours...

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Rumi - "The Lord is in Me" and "Love Said to Me"

I was sent a couple of poems by Rumi recently, and I wish to share them here. May you find inspiration in them for a glorious weekend! The Lord is in Me The Lord is in me, and the Lord is in you, As life is hidden in every seed. So rubble your pride, my friend, And look for Him within you. When I sit in the heart of His world A million suns blaze with light, A burning blue sea spreads across the sky, Life's turmoil falls quiet, All the stains of suffering wash away. Listen to the unstruck bells and drums! Love is here; plunge into its rapture! Rains pour down without water; Rivers are streams of light. How could I ever express How blessed I feel To revel in such vast ecstasy In my own body? This is the music Of soul and soul meeting. Of the forgetting of all grief. This is the music That transcends all coming and going. Love Said to Me I worship the moon. Tell me of the soft glow of a candle light and the sweetness of my moon. Don't talk about sorrow, tell me of that treasure...
Read more

Upside Down Siva and Ultimate Freedom

Image
While I was in Denver last month, on Thursday May 7th, the day of the week in which the Guru and teachers are traditionally honored, I was drawn to buy a "murti" (sacred statue) of Siva doing a one-handed handstand. I bought this statue the very morning I was to demo this pose, unbeknowst to me... The murti of Siva is now on my desk in front of me, where it is constantly in my peripheral vision, every time I sit at my computer. It is also to the left of the meditation alcove I built into a closet. I was drawn to this piece from the first moment I laid eyes on it, and so after receiving it in the mail, I wrote to Dr. Manoj Challam, from whom I purchased it, asking him to give me more insight into the meaning of this representation of Siva. A primary focus of the week that Anusara Yoga teachers gathered in Denver was the study of the Siva Sutras with Dr. Paul Muller Ortega, a pre-eminent Siva scholar. I have always been very drawn to Siva , and this particular murti was so ...
Read more

An Advent Guided Meditation

I wrote this meditation for an Advent Quiet Day for St. David's Episcopal Church in Ashburn, Va, last week. And while it is long, I wish to share it here, for those who would like to embark on a little journey of going inward to experience the quiet and the true gifts of this season. Enjoy! Introduction: Advent is a time for waiting, for preparing, for embodying joy, faith, peace, and love… Advent is a journey, which invites us to sojourn more deeply within ourselves. Advent is a time to slow down, to open our hearts to receive the Gift of the Divine in our lives, and to share our own lives with one another, for there is no greater gift that we can give… Let us take a few moments to settle ourselves – our minds and hearts and body into stillness, that we may open, prepare, and receive the gifts of the season… Centering: Begin by making yourself as comfortable as possible, sitting in whatever way will enable you settle most deeply… If you have to make...
Read more